Jurassic Rangers
by jbMarie
Summary: Traveling back in time leaves the MM Rangers facing a danger they've never before experienced. (REVISED. New ending!)
1. Awakening

[Disclaimer:] You know the deal...Saban owns the Rangers. And oh, how lucky he is. (Haha, I can picture him saying: "Hey, act! I OWN you..." dun dun dun, dramatic reverse!!!)  
  
[A/N:] Aaanyway....Haha, this story is cool 'cause I just thought of it off of the top of my head, and it sounded like a funny idea, so I typed it up. I was really kinda hyper, too, but you know... (really kinda? Is that an oxymoron?) Oh my. Kay, well, this takes place sometime during second season, with Jason, Trini and Zack, and when Tommy is the green ranger and has STRAIGHT hair, just how I like it (she says in some creepy hillbilly accent)! I'd like to hear your reactions, 'cause this is completely random, conjured from the deepest, darkest, most I don't-what-you-want-to-call-it part of my hyper-ness... and it's all in good fun. Hope you like it!  
  
[A/N 10-31-03:] Wow. Haha. I decided that I liked this story so much, I would re-read it and change some tidbits to make it suitable for re- posting. I can honestly say that this is my proudest story. It makes even ME smile when I read it, and I wrote the darned thing! So here it is, somewhat revised and spit-shined! I'd also like to note that I added a new ending. The original is still here, but there is a second, more evil ending that I decided to write (just read the reviews. someone requested it!). Hope you enjoy. Oh, and please please PLEASE feel free to add to the reviews. I love reading them. Have fun!  
  
Jurassic Rangers  
  
The sound of his alarm clock pulsed in his ears, arousing him from the peaceful slumber he did not want to wake from. Sitting up slowly, the brute teen rubbed his eye with a fist, squinting with his other eye at the time. "Aww, cripes. It's Saturday, and I set my alarm for school time." Grumbling, the teen crawled out of his red clad sheets, and threw on a pair of black sweat pants and a red shirt, the sleeves cut off at the shoulder.  
  
Yawning at the early morning atmosphere, Jason trudged his way down the stairs and stumbled into the kitchen. While usually at this time his mother would be making breakfast, the kitchen was completely abandoned. 'Hmm,' thought Jason. 'Maybe mom decided to sleep in.' Before getting out any dishware to pour himself a bowl of cereal, Jason walked half-asleep to the front door. Opening it, he bent down to retrieve the Saturday paper that should have been on his door step, but was not. In his groggy state, Jason rose slowly, still looking down at where the paper should have been. He shrugged and scratched the back of his head, glancing around at the thick layer of fog that hovered above the ground, feeling the humid air of the morning. He also noticed the large vines that hugged the perimeter of his house, and a beetle about the size of his hand that crawled leisurely across the front path. Turning around and closing the front door behind him, Jason stood still in another yawn. "Wait a minute," he said out loud. "Vines? Giant beetle?" Jason became very confused. Facing the front door once more, he opened it only half way this time, peaking out at what he had seen earlier. He shut it, and resumed in his confused state. Checking a third time through the peep hole, he stepped back, apparently aware that something was terribly wrong.  
  
"Um," was all that he was able to produce from his mixed thoughts. And then, getting an idea, he jogged back to the kitchen and reached for the phone. Picking it up, he dialed the first number that came to mind. Putting his ear to the receiver, he chanted, "C'mon, Kim. Pick up, pick up, pick up!" The only voice he had received, however, was not Kimberly's.  
  
"We're sorry. This line has been disconnected. If you'd like, please hang up and try-"  
  
"Man!" Jason slammed the receiver back on the phone. Rubbing his temples, he quickly decided to find out what was going on. Slipping on some running shoes, he bounded out the door and headed down the street for Kimberly's house.  
  
* * * * *  
  
An enormous pounding on the front door of the house awoke Kimberly with a start. She sat up, and rubbing her eyes, mumbled and groaned. "Who would come over this early on a Saturday?" Feeling no point in rushing to answer her rude visitor, she pulled out a pair pf pajama pants from the top drawer of her dresser to put on underneath her long, pink night shirt. She didn't even bother to fix her hair, for she was too tired. While the visitor outside was still knocking, Kimberly looked into her mother's bedroom at the top of the stairs. Seeing that the bed was empty and made, Kim gave a small shrug and walked down to the front door. She yawned as she turned the knob, and the door was thrust open by the boy in red standing outside.  
  
"Kim," Jason panted, "something weird is going on. Have you looked outside lately?" He was searching her home, opening all of the curtains so that Kim could pear out through the windows.  
  
Observing with tired eyes, Kim stated the obvious. "It's foggy. So what?" She yawned yet again, showing no concern for Jason's eager announcement.  
  
Jason shook his head. "No. I mean really look outside. Everything is...different." He somewhat pushed her to a window, and let her look.  
  
Letting out an annoyed sigh, Kim did as Jason wished and looked outside. Her eyes landed upon similar vines wrapping around her house, and bordering her windows. Becoming a bit more interested, Kim moved from the window and walked outside through the open door. She walked slowly, an expression of shock growing on her face. "What's going on? Where did these vines come from?"  
  
Jason was close behind her. "I don't know. But something tells me we need to figure it out, and soon." Before he could say anything more, Kim had practically thrown herself in Jason's arms, letting loose a shrill scream of terror. Quickly looking to where she had been standing, Jason laughed. "Oh, yeah. I see you've noticed the bugs. Big, huh?"  
  
Kim looked at him angrily. "Big? BIG? It's HUGE! And DISGUSTING!" She was frantically waving her hands now, a look of disgust on her face. "Eew, that thing could like, totally eat me!" Jason set her down, and she quickly ran on her tip- toes to the doorstep. "Jason, where ARE we?"  
  
He became serious again. "I don't know. We should try to get with the others. Maybe Zordon can help us, if we can get to him." He looked at his communicator.  
  
Kim did the same. She raised it to her mouth. "Zordon? Alpha? We've got an emergency..." There was no response. "Zordon? ZORDON!" She dropped her arms in disappointment. "Great. Now what?"  
  
Jason folded his arms. "We should find the others. Maybe Billy can come up with an explanation."  
  
Kim agreed. "Alright," she sighed. "Let me get dressed. I'll be right back." She entered her house, and ran up the stairs.  
  
Jason turned around to face the fog again. Behind it, he could just barely make out a group of wide, dark brown tree trunks, the likes of which he hadn't ever noticed there before. Usually, Kim's neighbor's house would stand facing hers, but now it was replaced by the thick, peeling trunks. Turning around facing Kim's house again, he looked to either side, noticing that the houses that would normally stand next to hers were gone as well. From the corner of his eye, Jason noticed Kim appear from her house in light blue jean shorts and a pink long sleeved shirt. She walked up to him, using the toes of her tennis shoes to help in avoiding any more bugs. She arrived at his side. "Kim," Jason said seriously, "I don't think we're in Angel Grove anymore." 


	2. The Bog

Disclaimer: Power Rangers...Saban. Yeah, yeah. Dorothy is from the Wizard of Oz... but I would expect you all to know that, too.  
  
A/N: Haha, I'm having fun writing this story. I must be crazy for trying to write two continuing stories at once, but it works. When I get stuck on one, I work on the other. Ya dig? (Wow. That was random.) So alright! Chapter two of Jurassic Rangers, here we go!  
  
THE BOG  
  
Kim and Jason stood adjacent to each other, each with their own worried faces searching their neighborhood for anything else familiar.  
  
"Kim," Jason said confidently. "I don't think we're in Angel Grove anymore."  
  
Kim stared at Jason, her lip quivering from the laugh she was trying to keep in. "Way to sound like Dorothy. But I kinda wish there were some sort of 'yellow brick road' we could follow, to lead us out of here... wherever 'here' is." She began to absently twist a lock of her hair in her fingers. "I'm starting to really not like the looks of this..."  
  
Jason turned around, looking over Kimberly's shoulder to the sidewalk that used to lead down the rest of the neighborhood. "Well, it's not yellow, and it's not made of brick, but the sidewalk that should lead to Billy's house is still here." He held out a hand, palm up. "Shall we?"  
  
She took it, and they both began to make their way down the path, Kimberly skipping at Jason's side.  
  
'Oh man,' thought Jason, amused at Kim's way of motion. He rolled his eyes and chuckled, letting Kim's hand swing his arm back and fourth. 'I just hope Billy can give us some insight on what's going on.'  
  
* * *  
  
The young intellectual stood in his garage wearing a pair of faded blue jean overalls with a blue and white stripped T-shirt underneath. He slid his glasses back in place with a finger on the bridge of his nose. On the table in front of him lay an assortment of leaves gathered from the unfamiliar plants surrounding his home, and a book that he glanced at repeatedly, after examining each leaf carefully. All of a sudden, a tall, slim girl with lengthy black hair walked into the garage from the side of the house, carrying a leaf in her hand.  
  
"I found another one, Billy. Have you determined anything yet?"  
  
Billy took the leaf from the girls' hand and she peered over one of his shoulders, studying a page in the open book. "Thanks, Trini," Billy said. "So far, from what we've gathered, I think I can make an accurate guess as to what time period we are currently located-" Before he could say anything else, a third voice interrupted.  
  
"Boy, I hope so, Billy man. These bugs are creepin' me out." Zack crunched his neck and shoulders, and stepped into the garage. "I can't take any more of this." The young African-American took a seat on a stool next to Trini, looking over Billy's other shoulder. "I mean, how do you time travel in your sleep? Talk about weird."  
  
The whiz teen picked up one of the leaves amongst the scattered others, and looked at it closely, squinting behind his glasses. "From what I can tell, these leaves were only known to live during the Jurassic Period of the geological time scale. Or to be more precise, during the Mesozoic era, a time period where dinosaurs ruled the Earth."  
  
Zack and Trini exchanged concerned glances as Billy added another comment. "I find it strange that these should be appearing suddenly, seeing as they've been extinct for over 63 million years." He returned the leaf to the pile on the table and stood back, plunging his hands into his pockets. "Assuming that time travel did in fact occur while we were in a state of slight unconsciousness, I find it odd that our destination in time ended up being so far back."  
  
Zack nodded his head. "You know what else is weird? I didn't see either one of my parents this morning. Before I saw what it looked like outside, I figured they went to work a little early. But now, I'm starting to wonder if something happened to them."  
  
Trini chimed in. "Same here. My mother is always up early, but she is usually cleaning or cooking breakfast in the kitchen on Saturday mornings. Her car was in the driveway, but there was no sign of her anywhere."  
  
"A second thought has just occurred to me. You guys, do you think this is Zedd's doing? Perhaps he finally became hit with a stroke of genius and realized that by sending us so far back in time, we could no longer interfere with his plans to overthrow the world."  
  
The other two teens shrugged their shoulders, apparently considering their blue buddies thought.  
  
All three friends looked absently at the pile of leaves on the table in front of them, contemplating on their current situation. The sound of footsteps broke their thoughts, and they all turned their heads to see Jason and Kimberly emerging from the thinning fog outside of the garage.  
  
Jason let go of Kim's hand and watched her rush up to Trini and Zack like a puppy let lose of his leash.  
  
"You guys, can you believe what it looks like out there?" Kim squealed, her arm outstretched to the fog.  
  
Jason strode up to Billy. "Looks like you've been doing some research. Have you found anything?"  
  
Billy nodded. Removing his hand from its pocket, Billy touched a leaf as he explained to his other two friends. "Apparently, we've somehow been re- located through time to the Mesozoic era, the only time period in which these plants lived." He poked at the leaf. "And strange enough, our persons are the only ones who seem to have been affected by whatever occurrence has brought us here." He returned his hand to its pocket and shrugged.  
  
Jason folded his brow and crossed his stressed arms over his chest. "You mean that's why there are no other houses on the street?"  
  
"So then, that would explain why my mom wasn't here this morning," Kim realized out loud. "This is just too weird, you guys. How could this have happened? I mean, I wake up and find that my mom is gone, all the houses on the street have just disappeared, and there are giant, man-eating bugs everywhere! I can't deal." Kim shook her head with her bottom lip pouted.  
  
Zack nudged her shoulder. "Hey, I'm with you on the bugs. I can't believe how big they are!"  
  
"Oh, I know!" Kim raised her right hand as if she were being sworn in at court. "They are the most disgusting things I have ever seen." Her eyes were raised to the ceiling, staring at nothing in particular.  
  
"Well guys," Jason said, turning to the team. "What do you say we venture out, to see if we can find any way of getting things back to normal?"  
  
Billy spoke in response first. "I concur, although without any proper technology with which to create a time hopping devise, or something of the sort, our situation almost seems a bit hopeless."  
  
Trini was next. "We shouldn't just give up, Billy. Maybe we can find our way to the Command Center! Has anyone tried to contact Zordon?"  
  
Jason nodded as Kim spoke. "We got nothing. Neither Alpha nor Zordon answered."  
  
Zack sighed. "So what, we're stuck here? Man, that's fantastic," he said sarcastically.  
  
"So then I guess our only option is to look for a way out. We can split up into two teams. Kim, you and I can head to the park area. Trini, Zack and Billy, you three see if you can get to the Command Center, if it's where it's supposed to be. If we don't find anything, we'll meet back here in an hour tops." The rest agreed with their leader's decision. Billy, Trini and Zack made their way out of the garage first, leaving Kim and Jason alone.  
  
"I'm really starting to get worried, Jason. What if we don't find a way out of here?" She began to fidget with her fingers, her signature sign of nervousness.  
  
The teen in red placed a reassuring hand on her slim shoulder. "Don't worry. We've always managed to get out of seemingly hopeless situations before. Why should this one be any different?"  
  
Kim shrugged and smiled at Jason's attempt to calm her. Suddenly, their communicator's went off. Kim stared at Jason with raised eyebrows.  
  
"Do you think it's Zordon?!" she hoped excitedly.  
  
"There's only one way to find out." Jason lifted his wrist to his mouth, and activated his communicator with his other hand. "This is Jason. We read."  
  
"Jason," Zack's voice could be heard from the other side of the system. "We thought we'd check out the communicators just to make sure they worked."  
  
Kim and Jason let out sighs of both relief and disappointment. "Well, at least we know they do between us. Good thinking, guys. Be careful out there, okay?"  
  
"You got it, man. We'll let you know as soon as we see anything. Zack man out."  
  
"Right," Jason said as he heard a soft click. He looked at the brunette by his side.  
  
"Well, I guess we should start heading out, too," She figured. They exchanged nods, and Kim followed closely behind Jason as he led the way back out into the fog.  
  
* * *  
  
He thought he'd been walking for hours, but he couldn't seem to find anyone he knew.  
  
'Great,' he thought. 'I'm lost. Man, I wish I knew where the others were. I wake up and my parents are gone. Not to mention the weird weather, and freaky plants. Something tells me I'm not where I'm supposed to be. Or maybe it's more of a WHEN...' He moved his way through the thick brush. 'Being a ranger certainly has unfortunate disadvantages.'  
  
All of a sudden, he heard a thunderous roar to his immediate left. Looking but not seeing anything, he simply released a deep breath and continued walking, a shiver tingling down his spine. "Man, I wish I knew where the others were."  
  
* * *  
  
Kim and Jason came to the area where the Park would normally be, but instead found a bog surrounded by large ferns and the tallest of trees either one of them had ever seen.  
  
Kim looked up in amazement. "Wow," she said, squinting at the faint sun peeking through the tree canopy. "I can't believe we've gone back in time. I want to believe that Billy is wrong, but there's never any use in arguing with his calculations."  
  
Jason didn't respond. Instead, he stood as still as possible, his eyes on a pair of bushes off to the side. Whispering, he grabbed his pink friend's attention. "Kim, come over here for a sec. Stand as still as you can."  
  
She did as told, with a sense of worry. Grabbing his arm, she asked, "Jason, what's wrong?" and followed his gaze to the bushes. They began to shake, their leaves fluttering and swaying together. Their movement became more and more rapid, as did the two teens heartbeats. "Jason, I'm scared!" Kimberly admitted, but Jason remained in his stone position, and slowly placed his free hand on top of Kim's, whose nails began to dig into his flesh, but not so pressured as to draw blood.  
  
The arms of the fern slowly began to move apart, making way for a shadowed figure to move through. At the sight revealed in front of her, Kim opened her mouth to scream and let out a blood curdling shriek. Her heart stopped as the figure from behind the bush emerged, and plowed into Jason.  
  
Top of Form  
Bottom of Form 


	3. Frozen With Fear

Disclaimer: (Yawn.) Power Rangers...Saban. We got it, right? Oh, and there's a mention of the movie "Jurassic Park" somewhere in here (good movie). Steven Spielberg owns the rights to that film. (I don't think I spelled his name right, but good job, Stevie-boy!) Although it might seem to be the case, I actually did not base this story on that movie. It just happens to relate, sort of.  
  
A/N: Man, I love how you guys are so into this story! It's as much fun to write the story as it is to read the reviews! Thanks for being so interested, guys. I don't want to keep you in suspense for too much longer, so here's chapter 3!  
  
FROZEN WITH FEAR  
  
The three teens managed to tangle their way through a dense jungle. With every step forward, the temperature dropped at an increasingly rapid pace. The fragile woman in yellow rubbed her arms.  
  
"You guys, I don't think we're going the right way." Plants were becoming scarce, and Trini was having her doubts about finding the Command Center. "What if we get lost and never find Zordon and Alpha? And that's only assuming there even in this time period."  
  
Zack had taken the lead, and Billy was not far behind his comrades. He had taken an interest in the spectacular site of the should-be extinct vegetation and wildlife. "Don't give up all hope yet, Trini. Just because we are surrounded by unfamiliar species of life doesn't mean our Ranger instincts are completely useless. If indeed Zordon and Alpha occupy the Command Center during this era, then we should have no problem in finding our way."  
  
Trini shrugged and kept the pace.  
  
Zack was busy watching his breath turn to thin clouds of white as the ground began to shake beneath their feet. "Whoa, what was that?" The three fell to the ground and scooted together until the rumbling Earth ceased. "I don't think that was your average earthquake."  
  
"Yeah," Trini exhaled. "Something had to have caused it, but what?"  
  
As if appearing on queue, a massive figure stomped its way toward them. The three gawked at the black Wooly Mammoth that headed their way, and quickly got to their feet.  
  
"I had to ask..." said Trini, as she backed up with Billy and Zack.  
  
"No way!" Zack was impressed. "Is that a Mastadon? It's awesome!" He reached out an arm in attempt to 'pet' the approaching beast, but Billy yanked him away.  
  
"Zack, I don't think that's such a good idea. If he gets the wrong impression, it could easily take you out with its tusks!" The animal closed in on the three, forcing them to back up still.  
  
"Well I don't want to wait around to see that happening. I say we run for it. Come on!" Trini grabbed the arms of Zack and Billy, and dragged them in the opposite direction of the Mammoth. The creature followed, crushing bushes and ferns beneath its large elephant feet.  
  
The three rangers somewhat stumbled along, regaining their balance every so often. They did not stop until they came to a fallen tree in their path. Its width easily increased Trini's height by three feet.  
  
"Now what?" Zack yelled over the thunderous trumpeting of the Mammoth, who was not far from sight.  
  
"We'll have to climb over it!" Trini shouted back.  
  
Billy positioned himself by the tree, locking his fingers together and forming a sort of foot hold for his yellow team mate. "You go first! I'll give you a boost!" Trini didn't waste any time, and placed a foot on Billy's hands and held on to his shoulder. Pushing herself up with the support of Billy, she hoisted herself onto the top of the tree trunk.  
  
"Come on! Give me your hand!" She reached back down to Billy and held his hand as he climbed his way up the trunk. Sitting behind Trini as if mounted on a rather large horse, he called down to the last of the trio who was still gazing in awe of the massive beast.  
  
"Zack! Let's go! Take our hands!"  
  
The boy turned away from the gaining creature, and held out his hands to his friends. They grabbed hold, and began to pull him up when the stomp of the Mammoth caused the earth to shake again, and Zack fell onto the ground.  
  
"Zack!" Trini absently yelled at her comrade's fall. She looked up in a panic as the Mammoth stood just feet from where Zack sat.  
  
"Get up!" Billy ordered, but to no avail. He clenched his hands into fists as the beast towered over Zack, lifting its powerful trunk and letting out a superior trumpet.  
  
Zack couldn't move in his shocked state, and simply stared up at the mammal, gritting his teeth and expecting the worst. Beads of sweat were forced out through his pores as the Mammoth lifted his front foot off of the ground. Closing his eyes, Zack prepared himself.  
  
Before they could say or do anything, Trini and Billy were flung from the trunk. They were tossed onto the ground on the other side of the tree, separated from Zack and the Mammoth. They cried out as the Mammoth's trunk released an icy blast, freezing the tree trunk that laid on its side, and Zack, who was last seen sitting against it.  
  
"No! Zack!" As soon as the creature turned and retreated from the sight, Trini desperately tried to climb the solid hollow trunk in order to rush to Zack's side, but Billy stopped her with both hands to her shoulder.  
  
"Trini! Stop! There's nothing we can do-"  
  
"But he can't just be frozen! How could a Mammoth do that? It's impossible! Mammoths don't just breathe ice!" She was struggling in Billy's grasp.  
  
The blue teen didn't give up. With a nod of understanding, he shared his thought. "His Zord did."  
  
At this, Trini stopped struggling and lowered her gaze to the ground in realization. "But it couldn't have been..." she paused, and looked up at Billy. "The Mastodon?"  
  
"It's the only explanation. Mammoths usually have... or had, rather, brown fur. But this one was covered in a tough black coat. I know it's hard to believe, but there's nothing else that could lead to why it spewed ice from its trunk." He shrugged guiltily.  
  
"So then, what? We just... leave him here?" Trini's eyes pleaded with Billy's.  
  
"We have to. We can't take him with us. Unless we find a way to melt the ice, he's literally stuck where he is." He hadn't intended the cruel joke, but it went unnoticed anyhow.  
  
Trini looked sorrowfully at her feet and nodded. Could that have actually been the Mastadon that served to be the power behind their friend's morphing powers? And if it indeed was, could the other ancient animals be roaming their present location as well? Confused and afraid of what the reality of their predicament may be, the slim Asian shed a silent tear for her fallen comrade and joined Billy at his side.  
  
Together, the two walked on ahead, with the slightest idea on what they would face next.  
  
* * *  
  
Jason and Kim doubled-over as the figure that appeared from the bushes sprawled on top of them.  
  
Kim wriggled her way out from the bottom of the dog pile and clumsily crawled away. Her eyes widened as they focused on their attacker, and she yelled out in surprise. "Tommy?!"  
  
The erstwhile green ranger sat on his knees now, wiping away an assortment of dried leaves and tree bark that clung to his shirt. He looked over to Jason who was lying on his back with a smile on his face. Tommy lent a hand.  
  
"Man, I'm sorry about that, guys. I'm really glad I bumped into you two, though. I'm so confused! What's going on?" Before he could get an answer, he was pummeled by his pretty pink pal.  
  
Jason laughed as Kim tackled the green ranger, catching him in surprise with a strong hug around the neck.  
  
"Oh, Tommy! I didn't think we would see you here! Everything is so scary and weird!" She stepped away, giving her crush some breathing room. "You don't know how glad I am that it was you in those bushes, and not some lame monster!"  
  
He didn't quite know what to say and chuckled. "Glad to see you too, Kim." He became serious now, and looked at his best friend. "But really, guys. Where are we?"  
  
"Billy said we'd traveled back in time, to the Mesozoic era. Don't ask me how, though. None of us could figure that out. It just kind of happened." He shrugged.  
  
Tommy became worried. "You mean, were stranded with animals from Jurassic Park?" he watched Jason and Kim nod. "Then that sound I heard back there... that was some kind of dinosaur? This is too weird."  
  
The three stood silent for a moment amongst the ferns that surrounded the bog. Then, something else dawned on Tommy.  
  
"Hey, speaking of Billy, where are the others?"  
  
Kim answered. "We split up. Jason and I went searching for anything familiar, while Trini, Billy and Zack went looking for the Command Center."  
  
"They were supposed to contact us as soon as they found anything," Jason added.  
  
"That was almost half an hour ago." Kim sighed, her happy face altering to a worried one.  
  
Tommy held her hand. "Well, who knows? Maybe they just got lost."  
  
She shrugged one shoulder and smiled faintly.  
  
Then, as soon as Tommy had finished his sentence, Jason's communicator went off. He answered it quickly.  
  
"Billy? Zack, Trini? What happened to you guys? Did you find the Command Center?"  
  
There was a moment of static, and then Billy's voice could barely be heard. The static was making it hard to understand what Billy was trying to say.  
  
"Guys... attacked-Mammoth. Zack-ice-can't find-lost... " The message faded out.  
  
Jason shook his wrist. "Billy? Billy, come in!"  
  
Kim shook her head disappointedly. "Jason, what if they're hurt? We don't even know where they are!"  
  
The muscle-bound teen responded. "Then we'll have to look for them. Come on. Let's go." He began walking once again though the thick trees and bushes, not waiting for the other two to follow.  
  
Kim and Tommy exchanged glances, and still holding hands, they jogged up behind their leader.  
  
Kim bit her lip as she and the others avoided the vines and branches above their heads. 'I have the worst feeling in the pit of my stomach that something bad is going to happen, and it's making me sick.' She sighed silently to herself. 'I just hope the others are alright.'  
  
And the three walked on, unaware of the tremendous danger that lay ahead. 


	4. Tale of the Dragon

A/N: Here we go, Chapter four. As always, give me some feedback. I'm really glad you are enjoying this. But I warn you: For those who are big Tommy/Kim fans (like me), this chapter has a tragic ending.  
  
TAIL OF THE DRAGON  
  
As the morning carried on into the afternoon, the humid air seemed to dry up, leaving nothing but heat from the sun to attack the vegetation of the lost world our wandering heroes stumbled into.  
  
Billy and Trini found their way into a somewhat shaded area of a nearby forest. They took further refuge sitting on a large rock jetting up from the ground, located beneath a branch of large leaves that served as an umbrella and protected them from the scorching rays of the sun.  
  
Tilting her head back and closing her eyes, Trini let her warm breath mingle with the dry air. "I wonder where the Mastodon is now," she muttered. "I could use some cooling off."  
  
Billy pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and after removing his glasses, he wiped his nose and brow of the beads of sweat forming from his pores. He replaced the handkerchief into his pocket, and tucked his glasses neatly in the front pouch of his overalls. "The heat is rather alarming. But it's nothing short of what's expected in this time period. The sun is much closer to Earth now than it is in our time. The best we can do is remain in the shade and hope it cools down during the night."  
  
Trini erected her head to look at Billy. "Do you think we'll be here for that long?"  
  
Billy shrugged. "It's unfortunate that we're here at all. This place has proved to be extremely dangerous. I still feel awful about leaving Zack frozen like he was, but there's no way to help him. Even if the sun does melt the ice, it's most probable that while trapped within the compacted water particles, there was no way for him to breathe, therefore causing him to..." he stopped, swallowing the lump that had grown in his throat.  
  
Trini knew what Billy was getting at, and grimaced at the thought of actually losing one of her closest friends. "So then what do we do now? There's been no sign of the Command Center, and our communicators have failed." She shook her head absently, staring down at her feet. "Everything's gone from bad to worse."  
  
Billy scooted closer to her and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. There was nothing he could say that would better there situation, so he only let her know that he understood. Together, they sat with the guilt of leaving one of their best friends behind, hoping that somehow, things would turn around.  
  
* * *  
  
Kimberly sat against the trunk of a large tree with her legs outstretched, fanning herself with a bundle of ferns she picked up that were scattered on the ground. "We're never going to find them in this huge forest. Besides, this heat is really starting to get to me."  
  
Tommy and Jason paced back and fourth, passing each other while going opposite directions.  
  
Tommy's face lit up with a smile as an unusual idea crept into his mind. He picked up a stick that lay at his feet, and held it up for the others to see. It was rather thick, and was shaped like a 'Y.' Tommy licked his lips and spoke. "Guys, do you know what this is?"  
  
The others stared at him in bewilderment with folded brows.  
  
Tommy shook his head at their silence. "It's one of those sticks that helps people find their way to a water source! Get it?"  
  
Jason folded his arms and couldn't help but chuckle.  
  
Kimberly stood up wiping the rear of her shorts, and joined Jason at his side. "Guess I'm not the only one this heat's gotten to," she smirked.  
  
Tommy shook the stick in his hand. "Come on, guys! I've seen people use it on TV!"  
  
Jason laughed once more, and stepped forward in attempt to take the stick from his friend. "Tommy, it was a good effort, but I don't think a stick can really help us find water."  
  
Tommy avoided Jason's hand and pulled away. "Fine. You don't believe me? Then I'll show you." He started walking away from the others and back into the deep of the jungle.  
  
Kimberly grunted. "Tommy, wait. You're going to get yourself hurt."  
  
"Like there isn't already something wrong with him?" Jason joked.  
  
Kim playfully smacked at his chest with the back of her hand, and the two jogged in pursuit of the Green Ranger.  
  
* * *  
  
The Yellow and Blue rangers remained on the rock, but sat upright at the sound of rustling leaves headed their way. With each crunch of the dead matter on the ground, Trini blinked at the thought of something horrible about to happen. Their ranger reflexes kicked in, and the two quickly rose into their defensive stances.  
  
But just as their luck would have it, Tommy emerged from the bushes with a rather determined face. They were baffled to see him clenching at two branches of a stick, with the third branch pointing in front of him.  
  
Trini relaxed and approached the green Ranger. "Tommy?! When did you get here?" Getting no reply, she tried again. "Where are you going?" She asked with a curious smile. Tommy still didn't stop, and Trini looked to Billy.  
  
"Uh, Tommy? Where are the others?" Billy heard Tommy snort a laugh at their mention, and continued on, walking away from his found team mates.  
  
"Well, that was weird," Trini announced.  
  
Then, just like before, there was another rustling in the bushes ahead. Billy and Trini were relieved to find that it was only Kimberly and Jason.  
  
"Omigosh! I'm so glad you guys are okay!" Kimberly gawked, clapping her hands on Billy's cheeks, squishing his lips to look like those of a fish.  
  
Not being able to move his face, Billy turned his eyes to Jason.  
  
The Red Ranger laughed. "At least Tommy's stick was good for finding something," he said. "I'm glad you guys are alright!"  
  
Trini gave a confused smile. "What was he doing with that thing, anyway?"  
  
Kim let go of Billy's face and answered her best friend. "He thinks he's going to find water with it, just like the cowboys on TV."  
  
Trini rolled her eyes.  
  
"Although there may be some stories of sticks like the one Tommy has being used to find water, it has never been proven," Billy said with a confident nod.  
  
Kimberly lowered her smile and asked in a rather bothered tone, "Hey, where's Zack?"  
  
There was no sound response, but only a solemn shake of the head from Billy and Trini. Kim folded her brow, and looked up at Jason, whose eyes were closed in a moment of silence. Kimberly did the same.  
  
All of a sudden, the group turned their heads at the sound of hollering and laughter. Jason nudged his head in the direction of the noise, and Kim, Billy and Trini followed their leader.  
  
Upon reaching him, the teens were amused at the site of Tommy splashing and dancing in a rather large body of water. It looked slightly wider than their own Angel Grove Lake, and they all imagined it was very cool compared to the torturing heat of the mid day sun.  
  
Kim trotted up to Tommy and splashed in the water at his side. She laughed as the rest joined in, and soon they were all drenched and dripping with water.  
  
Jason patted Tommy's back. "Well, I've got to admit, bro. You were right." They laughed, and took a handful of water, splashing their faces with it.  
  
Not to long after the happy find, the water began to lap fiercely along the bank, rippling past the teen's legs. Stepping forward out of the water, the teens became worried.  
  
"What now?" Trini wondered aloud.  
  
"Is it an earthquake?" Kim asked.  
  
Billy shook his head. "This happened to Trini, Zack and I only hours ago, and we wondered the same thing, only to find that it wasn't."  
  
"So what was it?" Jason inquired, balancing himself on the trembling Earth.  
  
The group turned around to find a huge bump begin to form on the water's surface. Slowly, it rose to reveal the head of a scaly creature, not quite the size of a hot air balloon. It had fierce, glowing red eyes, and armored plates that ran along the back of the neck, much like those of a stegosaurus. As the creature continued to emerge from the water, its form began to look more and more like a tyrannosaurus rex. Its mouth housed a row of sharp, thorn-like teeth. The armored plates continued down to the tip of the tail, but got smaller as they reached the end.  
  
The rangers stumbled backwards as the creature stepped out from the water.  
  
Billy and Trini noted that it was a good many feet taller than the Mastodon, and had no doubt that this creature was much more dangerous.  
  
"Oh..." Kim breathed. "What is that thing?"  
  
Jason and Tommy looked at each other. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Tommy asked.  
  
Jason nodded, still shocked at seeing a real form of the green ranger's zord. "Come on, guys! We have to get out of here, now!" Jason had to shout above the roar of the dragon that threatened their lives.  
  
They began to retreat from the waterside, but were stopped when the creature's long tail blocked their way. They moved left to the only opening that remained for them to escape through, but turned again to see the tail thrash into Tommy and send him flying back into the water with a great splash.  
  
"TOMMY!" Kimberly screamed. She would have rushed to his side, were it not for Jason holding her back. She cried out again as the tail lifted his somewhat conscious body from the water and catapulted him in the air. He crashed against a tree, and fell to the foot of the trunk.  
  
Kim's eyes glazed over in tears as she and the rest observed his limp body lie motionless on the warm ground. "We have to do something!" She yelled, pleading with the others.  
  
"Wait," Jason ordered. He noticed the dragon return to the lake, disappearing beneath the murky water. When the coast was clear, Jason let Kim go.  
  
She ran at full speed to where Tommy lay, and she panted his name as she lifted his head on her lap. There was a trickle of blood streaming from the corner of his mouth, but he did not move or make any indication that he was still alive.  
  
"Tommy? Oh Tommy please wake up." Kimberly sniffled, tears running down her face. She framed Tommy's cheeks with her hands, and kissed his forehead with quivering lips. She released sobbing breathes, and the others stopped their approach feet behind her. She bend her upper body forward and leaned her ear against his chest, listening for a heartbeat. Shutting her eyes at its absence, she began to whisper pleads. "No... No, you can't leave. Wake up, Tommy, please wake up... I don't want you to go... don't go, don't go." Her hands clenched his shirt above her head, which still was cushioned by his lifeless chest.  
  
She broke away only when Jason was knelt at her side. Gently replacing Tommy's head on the ground as if not to disturb him from slumber, she buried her face in Jason's shoulder and let his arms hold her trembling body. "How can he just. leave?! Where did that stupid dragon come from? He took Tommy away from us. away from me!" Her arms reached around his neck with her hands balled into fists, and there she let herself cry until no more tears could be shed.  
  
As the friends continued on, Kimberly leaned on Jason, clinging to his arm. Her face was the saddest the others had ever seen it, and she made no attempt to speak as the rest were silent as well. With the death of two beloved friends and team mates behind them, they could only imagine what was to lie ahead. 


	5. Vines,Tigers and TriHorns, Oh My

Disclaimer: Blah.  
  
A/N: In reference to the last chapter, how a Dragon came to be in the time of the Dinosaurs, I don't know. But it's MY fic, and I put him there. Deal with it. Hah. Not that anyone's questioned me about it, but anyway. You've all probably figured out that everyone's dino is out to get them, right? At least I HOPE you've figured it out. If not, then I just gave it away. Although, I really don't have a reason why. just accept it and be happy. or sad, as it may be the more appropriate emotion to the ironic downfall of our favorite heroes.  
  
VINES, TIGERS AND TRI-HORNS, OH MY  
  
The teens found themselves heading back to Billy's lab on the sidewalk that still remained. There were only four of them now: a depressed Kimberly, who clung to the sullen Jason. Trini stared absently ahead, and Billy was right at her side. To say the least, it was as if they had given up hope at any chance of survival. They saw what happened to their friends, and they only wondered when their time would come. No contact with Zordon or Alpha had been established, and as if knowing that death may certainly be their only way out of this lost world, the heat of the sun slowly began to cook their raw flesh.  
  
Jason felt a squeeze to his hand, and looked at it to see what was giving it so much pressure.  
  
Kim was so upset, she could have crushed Jason's hand right then and there if she wanted to. But she released it, and placed her hand over her eyes. She stopped walking, and Jason instinctively stopped with her.  
  
"Kim?" he asked gently.  
  
She couldn't take it anymore. Tears left her eyes without so much as a sob or choke from her mouth, and she began to lash out at no one in particular. "It's not fair!" she yelled aloud, grabbing the attention of her other two team mates. "It's just not fair! I mean, we don't even know how we GOT here, and there's NO way OUT?! What IS this? Some sort of sick TEST? Because I quit. I QUIT!" She threw her arms out at her sides, and began to shake hysterically. She lowered herself to the ground with Jason's help, and bent her knees in front of her, closing her arms around them.  
  
Jason was shocked. He'd never seen her in a state like this before. He didn't know what to say. "Kim, you just have to calm down. I don't know if we'll get out of here, but you're right. It's not fair. We lost two of our friends in this stupid place, and we don't even know why." He slumped down next to her, and leaned his head against the pole of Billy's mailbox. "But we can't just give up so easily. Something's going on. I don't know what it is, but if these prehistoric beasts are out to get US, then we need to watch each other's backs-"  
  
Billy broke in. "I believe that would be a very good idea, considering what's behind you!" He was almost yelling in fear now. "Kimberly, get up!"  
  
Jason was already at his feet and looked in astonishment as the vines that were once coiled around Billy's mailbox began to coil around Kim.  
  
Before they had tightened their grip, Kim managed to get to her feet, but that was the last move she was able to make. The vines made quick work of Kim, leaving not a single inch of her uncovered. They climbed up her body, slowly closing on her throat and mouth.  
  
Kim's fingers wriggled out at the sides, and her eyes opened wide as she tried to scream behind the vines at her mouth, but the sound she released was only muffled. The plant tightened, choking her neck, and the tears of frustration that welled from her eyes became tears of fear.  
  
She couldn't breathe. Her vision was blurring, and the vines at her head blocked her hearing. She could only see blurs of red, blue and yellow moving about, and she wasn't able to make out what they were shouting.  
  
Trini was in a panic. "What do we do?" she called, her hands on her chest.  
  
Jason was attempting to pull the vines apart, but to no avail. His hands had gotten tangled in the vines as well, and his feet were next. Thinking quickly, he shouted to Billy. "See if you can't find some scissors in your lab, Billy! Hurry! We need to get Kim lose, or we'll lose her, too! GO!"  
  
Billy did as commanded and rushed to his lab. Digging frantically through his drawers, he finally came across a pair of scissors, and ran out to help his friends.  
  
The vines that had covered the outside of his house, however, prevented him from doing any such thing. They moved lightning quick, and tied at his ankle, tripping him.  
  
He avoided the sharp point of the scissors, and slid them across the pavement over to Trini.  
  
She watched as they bumped into her feet, and she picked them up. Making haste, she cut the vines at Jason's wrists.  
  
Once he was free, he took the scissors, and with Trini at his side with a hand cupped over her mouth, he cut at the vines at Kimberly's throat.  
  
She could feel her heart beating faster and faster, and felt her veins suffocating with every squeeze. She needed air. Her head was spinning, and she felt like she would faint at any moment. Her eyelids were getting heavier, and she could no longer see...  
  
Jason was gritting his teeth. The vines were thick, and it took him too long to even cut just one. But finally, he had managed to break three of them, and loosened the rest with his hand, allowing Kim's breathing passage to loosen.  
  
Eyes still closed, she felt air seep in to her mouth and dive down her throat. She gasped, and opened her eyes. She could see clearly now, and she began to cough. Jason was prying lose the vines that threatened her very life, and Trini was laughing with a tear in her eye.  
  
The girl in yellow noticed Kim's eyes dart past her.  
  
"Kim, what is it? What's the matter?" She questioned.  
  
Kimberly began to shake her head wildly, with a look of plain fear in her eyes. Finally, it took a shout from Billy to get Trini to turn around, only to come face to face with something she never thought she'd see.  
  
The Saber Toothed Tiger growled calmly, and looked right into the eyes of the yellow ranger. It could sense her fear, and opened its mouth to release its warm breath in a powerful roar.  
  
Trini could feel its whiskers tickle her cheeks as it yelled, and she was too frightened to even move away.  
  
Jason loosened enough of the vines for Kim to break free, and clutching at her throat, she screamed at her friend. "Trini!" She coughed. "Trini, get away!"  
  
Jason did the only thing he could think of. Picking up a rock from the dirt outside of Billy's house, he chucked it at the cat's head, and it hit the over-sized feline right on the nose.  
  
Trini flinched as it turned its head away and headed for Jason, who was still held in place by the vines at his feet. The Tiger swung an angry paw at Jason's chest. The red ranger managed to move away just enough so the claws only ripped at his shirt.  
  
Thankful, and yet fearful at Jason's diversion, Trini began to run in the opposite direction. Not being the calm and clear-thinking person she usually was, she ran strait for the trees on the opposite side of the street.  
  
Perking up its ears, the Tiger turned its head to see Trini fleeing the scene, and leapt into the air to follow. This is the chase the Tiger was waiting for, but was disappointed when it so easily pounced upon the thin girl that was to be its prey. Trini was pinned to the ground under the weight of the enormous paws. There was nowhere she could go; no way to escape. She only let herself cry as the monster snorted warm air at the back of her head.  
  
Kim and Billy froze, and Jason balled his fists tightly together.  
  
Feeling that he should do something to save her, Billy rushed forward to Trini's aide, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Get away from her, you over-grown flea bag!" The not-so-scientific term did nothing to pull the Tiger's attention away from its catch.  
  
Now in the middle of the street, Billy stood and watched as the Tiger carefully picked Trini up by her shirt in its teeth, and carried her off into the jungle ahead. He turned around and looked at his friends. "We have to go after her!"  
  
Jason and Kim just stood there, wincing at the screams that faded into the distance.  
  
Suddenly, the Earth began to shake.  
  
By now, Billy was furious and not quite his reserved self anymore. "Aw, What now, huh?" As he turned slowly in his place, his face molded from one of anger to one of blank fear and shock.  
  
From out of nowhere came a charging Triceratops, heading right for Billy.  
  
Jason stepped back, and Kim only screamed for Billy to move. But it was too late.  
  
The beast lifted Billy off of the ground with its horn through his overall, and carried him away down the street. Jason and Kim could hear him calling out to them, flailing his arms wildly as the creature pranced out of sight.  
  
Kim clutched the hair at her head with bent fingers, and gritted her teeth. She freaked out and began to run off.  
  
Jason followed. "Kim! STOP! There's no where to-" He halted, and his heart skipped a beat as the next horrific sight introduced itself. A giant shadow drifted on the ground at Jason's feet. He swallowed hard as he looked up to see what it was, and he gasped as he saw a Pterodactyl fly right over his head.  
  
Looking straight ahead now, Kim had slowed down, fast-walking with one arm thrashing at her side with a balled fist, and her other with her hand to her forehead. The evil flying reptile glided slowly her way, and Jason knew what was about to happen next. 


	6. The End

Disclaimer: Guess....  
  
[A/N 10-31-03:] Alright. The second ending might actually come out a little later than expected, as it is really late now and I'm pretty groggy. Must sleep. sleep is good. So, here's the (FIRST) final chapter of Jurassic Rangers. Read on!  
  
THE END...  
  
She was walking away from him, away from her only surviving friend. At least, so far. Her hysterical state resulted from the current situation she was in, and she mumbled fiercely to herself, paying no attention to what was happening around her.  
  
"This is it, Kim. You're next. It's only a matter of when..." Her hand held her forehead, as if she were trying to check for a fever. Her sneakers were untied at this point, but she made no effort to tie them. Stumbling on ahead, she ignored Jason's warning from behind.  
  
No matter what he said, she wouldn't stop. The flying reptile in the air inched closer to her, hovering only yards off of the ground. Everything that happened in the next moment seemed to move in slow motion. He called out her name one last time.  
  
Frustrated and angry, she stopped and turned around, streams of dry tears gleaming on her cheeks. Before she could ask what it was Jason wanted, a dark shadow on the ground caught her eye. She recognized its shape, and her heart stopped when she realized it was moving toward her. She lifted her eyes from the ground to the sky, and saw the magnificent figure of a pterodactyl flying gracefully her way.  
  
She screamed.  
  
Her eyes clenched shut, and a sharp pain pierced into both of her shoulders. The creature dug its talons into her torso, breaking the skin and releasing small amounts of blood that seeped through her shirt. Her shoulder blades were pressured, and she felt as though they would be crushed at any second. There was no longer ground beneath her feet, and she thrashed her legs frantically, desperately trying to break free. Her hands grabbed onto the legs of the flying reptile, and squeezed as hard as she could, scratching and poking at the scales, pleading for her life. "No! Let me go! Please! Put me DOWN!"  
  
Jason was running beneath her, but he couldn't keep up. He called out to her again.  
  
"JASON!" The wind blew her screams away, and she was high in the air, being carried in the claws of an ancient flying lizard.  
  
She was out of his reach. His pink friend shrunk in the distance, but her screams echoed his way. Shaking his head in disbelief, he turned around in a full circle, over and over, looking for any sign that he was next. He waited and waited, but nothing came. He didn't understand.  
  
"WHY is this HAPPENING?!" He shouted with all of the breath his lungs would allow him to release, and then took it back in with a hard sob. "Why..."  
  
He began to wander aimlessly on, re-entering the thick jungle that sealed the fate of his newest best friend, and former green ranger.  
  
He found the bog, and approached the tree that sheltered the dead Tommy. Kneeling down beside his best friends' fresh corpse, his face was grief stricken and he choked on his tears. Summoning enough courage to speak, he mumbled to no one in particular.  
  
"All my friends are dead and gone. I'm left alone. And what's worse is they were taken from me by the very symbols of our power! I don't understand! How did this all happen?" He let his back drop to the ground, crunching the leaves beneath it. The canopy towering above his head shaded his eyes from the lowering sun. The entire day had been wasted in this forgotten place, and now he was all that was left.  
  
"Why haven't I seen the tyrannosaurus yet?" he questioned through gritted teeth. That was it.  
  
Just like so many times before, the ground at Jason's back trembled, and he rose to his feet with very little effort. Trees before him swayed in the rhythm, and he could hear the cracking of trunks getting louder, closer.  
  
He gulped. 'This must be it,' he thought, 'I jinxed myself. It's finally coming.' He was right.  
  
Avoiding the fall of a tree that crashed to the ground only feet from where he stood, Jason was greeted with the booming roar of the tyrannosaurus itself.  
  
It seemed to stare right into the pupils of Jason's eyes, drinking the fear that flowed in them. It approached, stomping the ground, rippling the soil and foliage on its surface.  
  
It was the stench of death. The rank, rotting breath of the giant lizard hovered about Jason, seeping in to the pores of his skin.  
  
He couldn't think. He couldn't react. He couldn't escape.  
  
The Rex was right in front of him, standing an arm's length away. Jason didn't want to run. He wanted to face the fate that claimed his closest friends. As the creature lowered its neck, reaching eye to eye with the red ranger, it opened it's mouth.  
  
Jason closed his eyes and stood his ground. His ears still listened, and the Rex released the most terrible, mind-blowing... buzzing noise?  
  
* * *  
  
Jason peeked open one eye. His bedroom ceiling blocked the sight of the tyrannosaurs that had promised to consume him only seconds ago.  
  
Opening both eyes, Jason sat up. He was in his bed, the red clad sheets scrawled all the way at the end, drooping to the floor. His heart was still racing, pounding for escape from his chest.  
  
A dream?  
  
'It couldn't have been!' Jason argued with himself. 'It felt so real! I could hear it! I SAW it all!'  
  
He looked at his alarm clock. It was still buzzing, and was set for school time. Checking the calendar on the wall above it, Jason confirmed that it was Saturday.  
  
He was beyond confusion. Not able to think of any other idea, he picked up the phone and dialed the closest person to him.  
  
He could hear ringing.  
  
After a minute, a groggy and tired female voice answered. "Uhhh....hullo..."  
  
"Kim? You're alive!"  
  
She didn't sound too happy. "Jason? Ugh. Jason, why are you calling so early?" she paused. "It's Saturday!"  
  
He sighed with relief. It WAS just a dream. "Never mind, Kim. Just go back to sleep." He heard an annoyed "hmph" and then a 'click' from the other end.  
  
Hanging up his own receiver, he got out of bed to turn off his alarm clock, and then went to his window.  
  
There was a thin layer of fog hovering inches from the still visible street. The houses around his were intact, just the way he'd remembered them. He was home.  
  
He chuckled, still a bit shaken from the false reality he had encountered during the night. 'I could have sworn... it was so real...' Shaking away his thoughts, the teen returned to his bed, and threw the covers on himself. He found a comfortable sleeping position, and closed his eyes. 'It was just a dream...' 


	7. The End 2

A/N 11-1-03: Here's the next ending. It was kind of 'write it as I go,' but I hope its entertaining none-the-less. Review and tell me what you thought!!  
  
THE END. pt. II  
  
She was out of his reach. His pink friend shrunk in the distance as she was carried off by the pterodactyl, but her screams echoed his way. Shaking his head in disbelief, he turned around in a full circle, over and over, looking for any sign that he was next. He waited and waited, but nothing came. He didn't understand.  
  
"WHY is this HAPPENING?!" He shouted with all of the breath his lungs would allow him to release, and then took it back in with a hard sob. "Why..."  
  
He began to wander aimlessly on, re-entering the thick jungle that sealed the fate of his newest best friend, and former green ranger.  
  
He found the bog, and approached the tree that sheltered the dead Tommy. Kneeling down beside his best friends' fresh corpse, his face was grief stricken and he choked on his tears. Summoning enough courage to speak, he mumbled to no one in particular.  
  
"All my friends are dead and gone. I'm left alone. And what's worse is they were taken from me by the very symbols of our power! I don't understand! How did this all happen?" He let his back drop to the ground, crunching the leaves beneath it. The canopy towering above his head shaded his eyes from the lowering sun. The entire day had been wasted in this forgotten place, and now he was all that was left.  
  
"Why haven't I seen the tyrannosaurus yet?" he questioned through gritted teeth. That was it.  
  
Just like so many times before, the ground at Jason's back trembled, and he rose to his feet with very little effort. Trees before him swayed in the rhythm, and he could hear the cracking of trunks getting louder, closer.  
  
He gulped. 'This must be it,' he thought, 'I jinxed myself. It's finally coming.' He was right.  
  
Avoiding the fall of a tree that crashed to the ground only feet from where he stood, Jason was greeted with the booming roar of the tyrannosaurus itself.  
  
It seemed to stare right into the pupils of Jason's eyes, drinking the fear that flowed in them. It approached, stomping the ground, rippling the soil and foliage on its surface.  
  
It was the stench of death. The rank, rotting breath of the giant lizard hovered about Jason, seeping in to the pores of his skin.  
  
He couldn't think. He couldn't react. He couldn't escape.  
  
The Rex was right in front of him, standing an arm's length away. Jason didn't want to run. He wanted to face the fate that claimed his closest friends. As the creature lowered its neck, reaching eye to eye with the red ranger, it opened its mouth.  
  
Jason could see strings of saliva and mucus webbed inside of the carnivore's mouth, and a long pink tongue dripping with drool. The musty breath caused the red ranger's eyes to water, and he turned his head to avoid having to look at it anymore. One last sight of the once green ranger brought Jason to his knees, ready and willing to die.  
  
But just as Jason prepared for the worst, something had grabbed the attention of the beast before it could gulp down its human. The terrible lizard raised its head high into the air and let out a ferocious roar, warning off whatever it was that apparently threatened him.  
  
Intrigued, Jason stumbled away enough to turn his body and find what was agitating the beast so. A dark red cloud had begun to form in the sky, swirling downward just at the bank of the great lake the group of heroes had come across earlier. A bold of lightening struck, and the clouds disappeared, leaving behind a sight that Jason had not expected to see, but was enraged with none-the-less.  
  
The boy's eyes narrowed furiously, and his teeth clenched behind closed lips. Fists pulsing, Jason growled in a low and fierce tone. "Zedd."  
  
The evil Lord chuckled proudly. "Greetings, Red Ranger. How does it feel to come face to face with the very emblem of your power? I must admit, I was a fool not to think of this plan sooner! Your pathetic dinosaurs accomplished what I could not, leaving me free to destroy your beloved planet once I return myself back to the future." He paused a moment and laughed. "Say, isn't that a movie title?"  
  
Jason's face had not distorted a muscle. If he could stare any harder, he would burn a hole in Lord Zedd's visor, and with much pleasure indeed. But he was too distracted by the sight of the villain to even so much as crack a smile at the thought of breaking him in two. If only the tyrannosaurus would act fast and gobble him up!  
  
But despite Jason's wishing, the lizard stood its ground, growling a most awful growl from the pit of its belly.  
  
Zedd leisurely paced the shore of the lake, his staff in hand. "I only wanted to drop by and give you a last goodbye. You have been a worthy opponent, Jason Scott, but your time has finally come. I bid you fare well, and please. do tell the other ranger's that I enjoyed hearing their screams of torture before their deaths. Adieu." With that and a few fits of evil laughter, Zedd raised his staff over his head and struck a white flash of electricity at the rex.  
  
From the corner of his eye, Jason could see the creature flinch, but it did nothing more than shake its head.  
  
"You moronic ancient reptile, go after the human!" Lord Zedd commanded, but to no avail.  
  
The creature still made no move.  
  
Jason turned his full attention to the beast now, and to his surprise, found it looking back at him. There was a different feeling, however. The reptile's stare gave Jason a different feeling; not one of terror, but one of. sincerity. He didn't understand. Had Zedd meant for the lizard to attack, but his magic backfired? Thinking quickly, yet desperately, Jason decided to test the idea that was forming in his head.  
  
Staring straight into the creature's eyes, Jason gave an order. "Sit."  
  
Without a moment's hesitation, the creature lowered its rear onto the ground, swinging his tail to one side of him, and the whole time never leaving Jason's stare.  
  
The boy's jaw dropped in disbelief. It had worked! Jason was now in full control of this ancient animal by some unknown force, or a simple backfire in magic. Whatever the case, Jason knew that this was to be used to his advantage, and he turned once more to face Zedd, who stood motionless on the lakeshore, apparently looking appalled at the lizard.  
  
Pointing his index finger and outstretching his arm, the red-clad teen showed the beast its next meal. A wry smile growing on his face, Jason muttered two simple words. "Sick him."  
  
The giant monster rose to its feet and strode toward Zedd, almost licking its teeth in anticipation. Before Zedd could escape, the creature lunged at him and in one swoop of the mouth, swallowed Lord Zedd whole.  
  
Jason almost couldn't believe what he had just witnessed, but before he was able to celebrate, there was a loud drum of thunder, and soon everything around him began to spin. Feeling queasy, he closed his eyes and grabbed his stomach, hoping that whatever was happening would stop quickly.  
  
A breeze continued to rustle his hair, but then stopped just as fast as it had come. No longer feeling motion sick, Jason let go of his stomach and opened his eyes with a gasp.  
  
His bedroom was a sight for sore eyes if ever there was one, and he stood for a moment blinking to make sure that it was no hallucination.  
  
Was this the result of Zedd's death? Was he and his friends returned back to their proper time? As soon as Jason could catch his bearings, he would certainly find out.  
  
Attempting to reach for his phone, Jason fell sideways onto his bed, clutching at the bundle of sheets at the foot of the mattress. Regaining his footing, he picked up the receiver.  
  
A quick dialing of seven numbers and the opposite end began to ring.  
  
A young woman answered.  
  
"Heh...lo?"  
  
"Kimberly!" Jason exclaimed with a sigh. "Is that you? You're alright!"  
  
"Oh my gosh. Jason, I just had the weirdest dream! We were all back in time, all six of us, and Zack and Tommy. and then these vines. and Trini. Billy. and then there was a PTERODACTYL-" She couldn't form a proper sentence.  
  
Jason laughed with relief. "I know all about it, Kim. But we're safe! We made it out!"  
  
"But. how?"  
  
Jason's smile faltered as he thought back. "Lord Zedd. I killed him."  
  
The other end was silent for a moment, and then, "You. what?"  
  
"Well, I didn't kill him personally. I had some help. But it doesn't matter. Zedd is dead, and we're back in the present. I don't think we'll be hearing from Zedd anymore."  
  
Kimberly could be heard laughing softly on the other end, and Jason smiled. The Rangers had finally defeated Lord Zedd for good! What would this mean? Would the Rangers be out of a job? Could they possibly go back to living a normal life? The thoughts and possibilities were overwhelming.  
  
"Look, Kim. I'll let you rejoice while I call up the others. We should meet at the Command Center later and have a party or something! I'll contact you via communicator later, alright?"  
  
"Uh huh. My gosh, I don't believe it!..." There was a soft 'click' and the line went dead.  
  
Jason hung up the phone, staring at it. HE didn't believe it, yet HE had seen it with his own eyes! "Zedd is GONE!"  
  
Breaking out in dance, Jason moved about his room jumping from the floor onto his bed, and then his desk chair, as if he had just won the lottery. His solo party ended abrubtly however with his bedroom door swinging open, and an aged-looking woman with frazzled brown hair and saggy, tired eyes popped her head in.  
  
"Jason Lee Scott, it is 7:24 on a Saturday morning. What on Earth is all the racket about?"  
  
The boy chuckled. "Sorry mom. I just, uh. woke up with a lot of energy."  
  
"Well that's great, sweetie, but could you maybe take it outside? Why don't you go for a nice run. I'm going back to bed."  
  
"Sure thing, mom." The teen agreed. Following her out his door, he raced in the opposite direction down the stairs and out onto the porch to take in the paper. Letting out a quiet, "Ha ha!" when he saw it, he took the paper inside and poured himself a glass of orange juice. "Today is going to be the first of a new start." He said.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Meanwhile, up on the moon, a Golden monkey with black-feathered wings was awaiting the return of his master.  
  
A foul energy filled the atmosphere, and in a bright crack of lightning, Lord Zedd returned to his humble moon palace and took his rightful seat on his throne.  
  
"How did you fare, oh wicked one?" Goldar asked of his Lord.  
  
Zedd placed a hand to his head as if to ale it of its throbbing. "Those pesky Rangers think they've won. I was lucky that damned beast only swallowed me whole. Well I'll show those putrid pests, just you wait! They haven't seen the last of Lord Zedd!" He raised an angry fist into the air, and his monkey minion joined in.  
  
A/N: Okay, tell me, how stupid was this ending? Hah, I didn't really have an idea when I started it, but oh well. It ended. How's THAT for random? 


End file.
